In Sports:

Maurkice Pouncey draft profile

Maurkice Pouncey watches on during the Gators' SEC Championship defeat.

AP / John Amis

With the draft less than a week away, several Gators have seen their draft stock slide. Carlos Dunlap, Brandon Spikes, and Tim Tebow are all likely long-shots for the first round, despite being mentioned as a 1st-rounder at some point over the previous few months.

One player who has seen their prospects rise is G/C Maukice Pouncey. Pouncey's decision to leave UF a year early is looking better and better as the draft approaches, and he is now widely considered to be a late first round selection possibility.

Pouncey is almost 6'5 and 300 pounds, and is a versatile interior offensive lineman with both pass and run blocking skills. As a freshman at UF in 2007, Maurkice started as a guard and earned All-SEC Freshman honors.

In 2008, Pouncey was moved to center, where he started all 14 games of the Gator's National Championship season. He again stayed at center in 2009 and excelled. At the end of the 2009 campaign Pouncey was honored with the Rimington Award, given annually to the best center in college football. He also garnered several All-American and All-SEC awards.

Maurkice Pouncey is quick, strong, has great hands, and is very intelligent. As a center for the Gators, Pouncey had extensive experience reading the defense and making the line calls. Because of his versatility and ability at either guard or center, Pouncey will make a valuable addition to whichever team chooses him, probably in the last 10-12 picks of the first round, and will be one of the first guards or centers chosen, if not the first.

Share this article

Comments

Jeff is a University of Florida graduate currently living in Jacksonville. He was born and raised in Pennsylvania but left the snow behind to attend UF in 1996, and has never looked back. He has been a Gator fan since Steve Spurrier brought his Fun 'N Gun offense to Gainesville in 1990. As a student and as an alumnus, he has attended countless Gator sporting events and has witnessed many memorable moments in UF sports history. A fan of all sports, Jeff will provide in-depth information about Gator events, Gator alumni in professional sports, and other information that can help even the most casual Gator fan stay current on University of Florida sports news, and help Gator fans get the most out of local sporting events. Contact Jeff.